Fruit-picker.



J. P. BOOKWALTER.

FRUIT PICKER.

APPLIGATION FILED APRA. 1912.

Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

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COLUMBIA PLANDGRAFH C0.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. BOOKWALTER, OF PALESTINE, ILLINOIS.

FRUIT-PICKER.

To all who/m, t may concern Be it known that I, JOHN E. BoonwALTER, acitizen of the United States, residing at Palestine, in the county ofCrawford and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Fruit-Pickers; and I do declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame.

This invention relates to fruit pickers, and it consists of certainnovel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts aswill be more fully described and particularly pointed out in theappended claim.

In the accompanying drawings; Figure l is a perspective view of myimproved fruit picker; F ig. 2 is a vertical sectional view thereof withthe jaws in closed position; Fig. 3 is a similar view with the jaws inopen position; E ig. 1 is a vertical sectional view taken at rightangles to Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a horizontal section taken on the line 5 5of Fig. 2.

My improved fruitpicker `comprises a head l which is preferably7constructed of light sheet metal and is here shown as being ofrectangular form. The head 1 is secured to the upper end of a supportingrod or pole 2 which may be of any suitable length. The end walls of thehead 1 are extended upwardly as l and have their upper edges rounded orof semi-circular shape, said semicircular projections of the endsforming closures for the ends of the picking jaws 3. The jaws 3 arehingedly connected at their lower edges to the upper edges of the sidewalls of the head 1 and swing outwardly when openedL and when in closedposition the upper edges of the jaws come together into close engagementfor gripping and severing the 'stem of the fruit engaged by the jaws.The jaws 3 are opened by means of a cord 4l bent at about its centeraround the head and having each stretch led over a guide pulley 5 andconnected with the outer side of one of the jaws as shown. l/Vith thelower looped center of the cord l is loosely engaged a ring la to whichis secured the upper end of an operating cord 4b which eX- tendsdownwardly to within convenient reach of the operator. By using the ringla a loose sliding connection is provided between the jaw opening cordand the operat- Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led April 4, 1912.

Patented Sept. 24, 1912.

Serial No. 688,475.

ing cord thus causing the cords to pull evenly on the jaws, whereby thesame will be opened together and to the same distance.

The pulleys 5 are revolubly mounted in loop shaped brackets 6 secured tothe sides of the head 1 a short distance below the upper edges thereof.The looped outer portions of the brackets form guides which hold thecord lin engagement with the pulleys. In order to retract or draw thejaws together into engagement with the stem of the fruit, I providecoiled springs 7, one of which is arranged on the inner side of each endwall of the head l and has its lower end engaged with an eye S' securedto the side wall of the head. When thus arranged the pressure of thesprings will be exerted to retract or draw the jaws together after thesame have been opened by the cord 4 in a manner described. In order toprevent the edges of the jaws from coming into forcible engagement whenclosed by the springs 7, I provide stops l0 which are here shown and arepreferably in the form of short studs secured to the inner sides of theextended upper portions of t-he end walls l of the head as shown.

In the walls of the head 1 adjacent to the lower end thereof are formedapertures 11 by means of which the upper end of a fruit conducting tubeor chute 12 is secured to the head, said tube being preferably formed ofcanvas or other suitable fabric and has its upper end riveted or sewedto the head through the apertures 11. The tube 12 may be of sufficientlength to extend to the ground or said tube may correspond in length tothe rod or pole 2 and may be tied or held in engagement with the pole toclose the lower end of the tube.

For picking most varieties of fruits the engagement of the edges of thejaws with the stem of the fruit is sufficient to pick or sever the stemfrom the branch. It has been found, however, that in picking some fruitssuch as oranges and the like, the engagement of the edges of the jawsalone is not sufficient to sever the stems, and to overcome thisdiiiiculty I preferably provide cutting or severing blades 13 which aresecured in any suitable manner to the edges of the jaws, said bladesbeing here shown as having their ends engaged with retaining flanges 111formed on the jaws adjacent to their ends as shown. When thus arrangedthe edges of the blades 13 will be brought into forcible engagement withthe stems of the fruit when the jaws are closed by the springs 7, thussevering the fruit from the branches.

Froin the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing troni the principle orsacriicing any of the advantages of this invention, as defined in theappended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is;

The herein described fruit picker comprising a pole, a tubular head ofrectangular cross section carried by the pole and having its end wallsextended beyond its side walls, a tube depending from the lower end ofsaid head, curved jaws hinged to the side walls and having blades attheir free edges engaging each other when the jaws are closed, the jawsshaped to co-act at this tiine with the end walls of the head topractically close the latter, two contractile springs, each con nectedat one end to the inside of one jaw and at the other end to the insideof the opposite side wall of the head, the two springs standing adjacentand inside of the end walls of said head so as to leave the latter clearinternally for the passage of fruit, guide pulleys pivotally supportedon the outside oil the side walls of the head, a ring, a cord connectedto the outside of one jaw and passing through the ring to the other jaw,and an operating cord connected with said ring and leading down thepole.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOI-IN F. BOOKIVALTER.

lVitnesses S. L. Scorie, MILLARD I-IAWKINS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C.

